For the third consecutive month, the industry’s assessment of the current scenario and the upcoming months showed a slight worsening.
According to the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), the Industrial Business Confidence Index (Icei) fell from 51.7 points in November to 50.8 points in December.
Despite the decline, the sector is slightly optimistic because values above 50 points indicate confidence.
In a note, the CNI reported that industrial business people still have confidence, but it is restricted and not very intense.
The December index is below the historical average of 54.3 points. According to CNI, this is due to the composition of the indicator.
The Current Conditions Index, which measures the current scenario in relation to the last six months, dropped from 53.2 points to 50.3 points, indicating that the industrial entrepreneur no longer sees an improvement in everyday conditions.
The indicator’s components show diverging trajectories. According to CNI, the industrial entrepreneur evaluates, in a different way, the expectations for his company and the economy.
The Index of Expectations for the company, which measures the businessman’s perceptions of his own business in the next six months, rose from 53.6 to 54.1 points.
However, the Index of Expectations for the Brazilian Economy fell from 45.9 to 44.8 points.